Largest Maze in the World to Open Near Parma

It took eight years to construct and now the world’s largest maze or labyrinth is set to open in Italy. The 17-acre Labirinto della Masone is set on the estate of art publisher Franco Maria Ricci in the town of Fontanellato near Parma in the region of Emilia-Romagna.

Italy Magazine reports, “It consists of a mix of 120,000 species of bamboo that edge almost 2 miles (3 km) of pathway. The star-shape labyrinth has a building complex at its centre that includes facilities to house Ricci’s art collection of 500 works dating from the 16th to 20th century, as well as a library devoted to graphic design and typography.”

This labyrinth of bamboo hedges is five times the size of the Pineapple Garden Maze, the largest permanent hedge maze in Guinness Book of Records. The Fontanellato maze will begin welcoming visitors later this year.

About Kathy McCabe

Kathy is the founder of the award-winning subscription travel newsletter Dream of Italy, and a noted Italy travel expert. Kathy’s travel advice has been quoted in USA TODAY, BusinessWeek, U.S. News + World Report and on ABC News, among others. Follow Kathy and Dream of Italy on Facebook and Twitter.